Acquisition of respiratory and gastrointestinal pathogens among health care workers during the 2015 Hajj season

Experiences of Indonesian nurses as Hajj health personnel in caring for Hajj pilgrims: A qualitative study

Background

Investigating the experiences and roles of nurses during Hajj is vital due to the unique public health challenges posed by the mass gathering of diverse pilgrims. Nurses play a crucial role in disease surveillance, infection control, and managing emergencies like heat stroke and injuries. Their insights can improve emergency preparedness and public health management.

Objective

This study aimed to explore the experiences of Indonesian nurses as Hajj health personnel caring for Hajj pilgrims during the 2023 Hajj season.

Methods

This study employed a qualitative descriptive design and selected participants through purposive sampling from hospitals, public healthcare centers, and clinics in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Nine nurses participated in the research, and data were collected through a focus group discussion in December 2023. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data.

Results

Six themes emerged, including practicing ethical principles in providing health care during the hajj process, competency qualifications as a health worker, the health care process during Hajj, legal Requirements for Hajj, the importance of therapeutic communication skills to establish cooperation with various parties, and recognizing the role of duties and responsibilities during the hajj process.

Conclusion

The study emphasizes the importance of competencies, ethics, communication, and strategic planning in Hajj healthcare. Effective online communication, especially via WhatsApp, was crucial for coordination. The findings emphasize the need for strategic workforce planning, resource allocation, and continuous training to enhance care quality for pilgrims, informing better planning and policy development for future Hajj seasons.

Seroprevalence of neutralizing antibodies to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) among healthcare workers in Makkah, Saudi Arabia

OBJECTIVE

The new coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a major health problem worldwide. The surveillance of seropositive individuals serves as an indicator to the extent of infection spread and provides an estimation of herd immunity status among population. Reports from different countries investigated this issue among healthcare workers (HCWs) who are "at risk" and "sources of risk" for COVID-19. This study aims to investigate the seroprevalence of COVID-19 among HCWs in one of the COVID-19 referral centers in Makkah, Saudi Arabia using three different serological methods.

METHODS

In-house developed enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA), commercially available electro-chemiluminescence immunoassay (ECLIA), and microneutralization (MN) assay were utilized to determine the seroprevalence rate among the study population. 204 HCWs participated in the study. Both physicians and nurses working in the COVID-19 and non COVID-19 areas were included. Twelve out of 204 were confirmed cases of COVID-19 with variable disease severity. Samples from recovered HCWs were collected four weeks post diagnosis.

RESULTS

The overall seroprevalence rate was 6.3% (13 out of 204) using the in-house ELISA and MN assay and it was 5.8% (12 out of 204) using the commercial ECLIA. Among HCWs undiagnosed with COVID-19, the seroprevalence was 2% (4 out 192). Notably, neutralizing antibodies were not detected in 3 (25%) out 12 confirmed cases of COVID-19.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study, similar to the recent national multi-center study, showed a low seroprevalence of SARS-Cov-2 antibodies among HCWs. Concordance of results between the commercial electro-chemiluminescence immunoassay (ECLIA), in-house ELISA and MN assay was observed. The in-house ELISA is a promising tool for the serological diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, seroprevalence studies may underestimate the extent of COVID-19 infection as some cases with mild disease did not have detectable antibody responses.